Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to optical communication networks and, more particularly, to different thermal zones in an opto-electronic module.
Description of the Related Art
Telecommunication, cable television and data communication systems use optical networks to rapidly convey large amounts of information between remote points. In an optical network, information is conveyed in the form of optical signals through optical fibers. Optical fibers may comprise thin strands of glass capable of communicating the signals over long distances. Optical networks often employ modulation schemes to convey information in the optical signals over the optical fibers. Such modulation schemes may include phase-shift keying (“PSK”), frequency-shift keying (“FSK”), amplitude-shift keying (“ASK”), and quadrature amplitude modulation (“QAM”).
Optical networks may also include various optical elements, such as amplifiers, dispersion compensators, multiplexer/demultiplexer filters, wavelength selective switches, optical switches, couplers, etc. to perform various operations within the network. In particular, optical networks may include costly optical-electrical-optical (O-E-O) regeneration at reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) when the reach of an optical signal is limited in a single optical path.
In various optical elements used in optical networking, optical and electrical components may be combined into a single package, referred to as an “opto-electronic module”. When an opto-electronic module is designed with a single thermal zone, a reduction in size of the physical dimensions of the opto-electronic module may be limited.